Background Medical treatment for gender dysphoria was publicized in the early 1950s by accounts such as those of
Christine Jorgensen. The organization supported a mix of psychological and medical treatment. according to which patients had to socially transition for up to a year prior to receiving hormone therapy. These critiques developed into a trans-led Advocacy and Liaison committee, marking the first time trans people were officially and actively consulted regarding their treatment. The
fifth version of the SOC, published in 1998, was titled the "Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders", to be consistent with the DSM-III. It recommended but did not require psychotherapy and stated that while GID was a mental disorder, that was not a license for stigma. An important change in the eligibility criteria for hormone therapy allowed providers to prescribe hormones even if patients had not undergone RLT or psychotherapy if it was for harm-reduction purposes. particularly individuals born female, to receive a
mastectomy. In 2006, the organization changed its name from the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). In 2007,
Stephen Whittle became the first transgender president of the organization. Shortly after, it released the "Identity Recognition Statement", urging governmental and medical bodies to endorse gender self-identification and no longer require surgery or sterilization as a prerequisite. replacing the requirement of the real-life test and psychotherapy prior to hormone treatment or surgery with "persistent well-documented gender dysphoria", criteria for
hysterectomy or
orchiectomy treatment, and an expansion of the effects of hormone therapy. and adding the requirement that the provider must have a doctoral-level degree. and dealt with the treatment of adolescents. WPATH commissioned a series of reviews to support the development of SOC 8 from various research organizations and retained the
publishing rights to the contracted research to support the guidelines, According to
The New York Times, the legal proceedings leading up to the Supreme Court case of
United States v. Skrmetti revealed that WPATH had itself allowed the goal of fending off legislative bans on gender-affirming care to dictate some of its recommendations. For example, internal documents argued, in relation to age minimums, that "specific listings of ages, under 18, will result in devastating legislation for trans care". Shortly after the release of SOC 8, age minimums for hormonal treatments and for most gender-related surgeries were deleted. Internal documents also argued for the avoidance of phrases like "insufficient evidence" and "limited data" in favor of using terminology like "
medical necessity" and "evidence based", citing ongoing court battles to restrict gender-affirming care and the effect such language could have on them. ==Organization==